Combined fabric support and brace



Feb. 21, 1928.

B. F. LINDSLEY COMBINED FABRIC SUPPORT AND BRAGE Filed Sept. 1, 1935Patented Feb. 21, 1928.

UNITEDHSTATES.

BENJAMIN FPLIITDSLEY, F MANSFIELD, OHIO COMBINED FABRIC SUPPORT ANDBRACE- Application filed September 1, 1925. Seriailh. 53,900.

This invention relates to a combined fabric Support and brace. i It iswell known to those skilled in the art pertaining to the manufactureand" use of ness and elasticity andalso tending tocause it to bend orgive way under sive' pressure. I I I 'The primary ob]ect of the presentlnvention consists in providing a combinedfbrace and supporting memberfor a fabric and attaching and supporting same from a fabric frame closeproximity to the corners thereso of, so that the'strain or pullingefiect due to weight or pressure on the fabric will be exerted upon themost rigid portions of the fabric frame preventing the end frame membersfrom bending at the centers and thereby shortening the distance betweenthe end frame members, which cause the fabric to sag. f 7

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a fabricpreferably made 80 up of a series of wire links and yieldinglyconnecting same to a frame to provide a resilient fabric which willrebound or recoil when subjected to weight or pressure.

Another object of the invention is to pro- 5 vide a combined braceandsupport toreinforce, support and brace the fabric at its point of leastresistance-that is at or substantially in the center or the middle ofthe fabric. I I

j A further object is to provide a combine support and brace which canbe yieldingly supported from the fabric frame under a tension whichtends to hold the combined brace and support in juxtaposition to thebottom of the support thereby sustaining and upholding the fabric andtending to prevent the yieldmg, sinking or giving way of said fabric atits center or point of least resistance.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined, brace andsupport that will tend to support and strengthen the sides of the fabricand to assist in yieldingly maintaining the plane of the fabric at thesides thereof when the fabric at the sides a load or excesis subjectedto undue pressure or weight as for instance when a person sits on theside of the bed for any purpose.

A further object is to provide an elongated rectangular member which ispreferably composed of two square members yield ingly connected togetherand which is adapted to be supported at the center of thefabric. Theseand other objects, are attained by the mechanism illustrated in' thedrawings in which: f

Figure 1 is a plan view in erspective showing the fabric frame, thepreferred wire fabric construction and the combined brace and supportfor the fabric, assembled.

* Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of one corner of Fig. 1.

j Figure 3is an enlarged side View of the rectangular member takenon theline 11 of Figure 1.

. In the preferred embodiment of my invention I have shown a fabriccomposed of a series of wire link members connected together in alongitudinal and right angular relation to each other, the fabric beingsupported by a series of helical compressed springs which are attachedto the fabric and tothe fabric frame.

The invention is shown applied'to a fabric made of wire links and isconstructed as follows: V i

A frame comprising longitudinal side members 1 and 2 is provided havingrisers 33 fitted at the ends thereof. The lower portions of the risersas shown at 4 are adapted to fit the rails of a conventional bed frame.The upper portions as shown at 5 are fiat and extend rearwardly andinwardly in opposed relation to each other as shown at 6.

The free inwardly extending ends of the risers are connected together bycross frame members 7 which arepreferably made angu lar in cross sectionwith the upper portion connected on a plane with the flat portions 5 ofthe risers as, shown in Fig. 1.

A series of apertures 8 are provided in the upper flat leaf of theangular members; A series of compressed helical springs 9 are providedwith hooked portions 10 which are inserted in the apertures 8. Theopposite ends of the compressed helical springs 9 are also provided withhookedportions 11 and are connected to a series of wire links ,12 formedsubstantially U-shaped and provided with hooked free ends 13 (which arevconnected to links described hereinafter) pro-. viding intermediateconnections between the helical compressed springs 9 and the bodyportion of link wire fabric.

The main body (preferred type) of fabric is constructed as follows: p i

The links are preferably made of one piece of wire which is turned orbent to provide eyes 1% and 15 having members '16 and 17 extendingtherefrom with the free ends bent to form hooked members 18 and 19. Theeyes 1e and 15 are connected to the hooked members 13 of theintermediate link connecting members 12 and each succeeding wire linkmember is connected in a longitudinal direction in the same manner inparallel rows. 7

,Each row of wire links comprising the fabric is connected to the framebars 7 at each end of the frame in exactly the manner described.

It will also be observed that the link members, which are provided withtwo eyes and two hooks as hereinbefore described compose or comprise themain body portion of the fabric. I

A series of link clips 20 are provided and connected to the eyes of thelinks 12 (which run in a longitudinal direction) in right angularrelation thereto. so as to-mai'nt'ain the eye links in their properpositions with relation to each other.

In order to strengthen the fabric at the sides thereof side bars 21 areyieldingly connected to the risers 6 by compressed helical springs 22. r7

Attention is called to thefact that the side bars are connected to therisers 6 so as to be located in'a position directly in alignment withand over the top of the frame bars 1 and 2 so that the weight orpressure exerted upon the side bars will be in direct alignment with theframe bars 1 and 2 for strengthening purposes.

In order to hold the fabric as a whole substantially in alignment in asidewise direction with the side bars and frame bars 1 and 2 of thefabric frame, link members 23 are connected to the eyes of thelongitudinal eye wire links adjacent to the side bar and to the sidebars thereby maintaining the fabric in normal position lengthwise andsidewise.

The above describes the preferred embodiment of the fabric frame andmeans of supporting the fabric from the frame, whichI prefer to use inassociation with the combined brace and supporting member. v

The combined brace and supporting mem her is preferably constructed asfollows:

Tie plates 24 preferably formed triangular are provided and link members25' are connected thereto forming a member substantiall square. Two ofthese members are provide and connected together through the medium ofcompressed helical coiled springs 26 to provide a yielding connectiontherebetween. i

Supporting brace rods 27 are connected to the tie platesi24, divergingfrom each other in a sidewise direction and are con 7 nected to the endframe members 7 by compressed helical springs 28, one end of the springs28 being connected near the corner In order to further strengthen and"sup;

port the sides of the fabric at an interme diate point between thesupportingmeinber and the side bars of the bed, auxiliary supporting,brace rods 30 are connected at one end to the tie plates '29 and theopposite ends are connected through the medium of springs'32. 7 i w 1 4The auxiliary supporting brace rodsl are heldintheir normal positions bycliplink members 33 which preferably are disposed t'oincline toward thecenter supporting and bracing member as shown'in Fig. 1. 1

7 It will be observed as shown in Fig. '3 that the combined brace andsupporting vmember is so constructed and assembled as tie. plates 31 andthe helical compressed to lie in'juxtaposition to thejfabricundertension tending to take up the'sl'ack or sag of the fabric at itsweakest point or line of least resistance and further tending to supportthe fabric yieldingly under pressure or weight substantially on ahorizontal plane.

It will furtherbe observed that the fabric frame, fabric and combinedsupporting and bracing member are so associated together as to brace andreinforce each other when subjected to weight or pressure, but at alltimes the fabric and combined supporting and brace member are resilientand yielding in action to provide for thecomfort, convenience and easeof the user of the bedor thelike. I I Attention is calledto the factthat while the combined brace and 'support'is preferably shown asappliedto a bed frame or the like in connection with a wire fabric thatapplication thereof can be made to couches, settees,cots or the likeand'the'same results obtained, without deviating fromthe principle oftheinvention as described in the specification and shown in thedrawings.

Iclaim;

In a bracing means for abe'd-fabric carof rectangularly-arranged,{interconnected plates and springsconnecting one series with the other,brace rods extending from the cen- 1 tral member diagonally of theframe, plates ried by the adjacent ends of such auxiliary connected tothe outer ends of the brace rods, brace rods, springs connecting saidlast springs connecting said plates to the end named plates, and meansfor connecting said 10 bars of the frame, an auxiliary brace rodlast-named plates to the fabric.

5 connected to each of said plates, the auxil- In testimony whereofIaffix my signature.

iary rods on each side of the central member extending toward eachother, plates car- BENJAMIN F. LINDSLEY.

